


basorexia

by serendipitousserenity



Series: What The Word Means [3]
Category: One Direction (Band), Zayn Malik (Musician)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, lots of kisses, slight angst, tender and loving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 02:17:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13044426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitousserenity/pseuds/serendipitousserenity
Summary: (n.) the overwhelming desire to kissZayn and Liam aren’t in a relationship, according to Liam’s parents.





	basorexia

This is not how they thought they’d be spending holidays together.

All of Zayn’s things have been moved in to the guest room, and all photos, pictures of them together have been removed from their home and put in to little boxes (and those boxes now go in Zayn’s bedroom.)

Liam’s bedroom, actually, their bedroom, has been set up for Liam’s parents. And Liam has gone to the train station to pick them up while Zayn stayed back to make sure that there was nothing in their home that would suggest that Zayn and Liam are actually zaynandliam.

He doesn’t really find anything other than a picture of them that Liam keeps in his wallet, and he doesn’t like the fact that Liam had to take it out of his wallet, so he pulls out his own wallet and tucks the picture of them in it.

It’s from one of their early dates, and it’s tattered and it’s fading but Zayn can still see the look in Liam’s eyes in the picture that he sees every day.

Zayn understands why Liam is hesitant to come out to his parents, he gets that. But it doesn’t mean, he has to like it.

He hears the keys jingle outside the main door so he quickly shuts the lights out and walks out of his own bedroom and in to the make shift bedroom that he’s going to be living in for the next ten days. He hears Liam and his parents enter and the scratch of the suitcase on the wooden floor and the soft mumbles that he can’t really make out.

And then, there’s a knock on his door, and he opens it carefully to find Liam looking at him with sad, hopeful eyes. And it’s for him, his Liam, that he puts on a smile on his face and walks out to introduce himself to Liam’s parents as Zayn Malik, Liam’s roommate and friend.

It goes smooth, Liam’s parents are sweet and kind and they make sure to ask Zayn enough questions about himself at dinner that he actually feels like he is meeting his boyfriend’s parents for the first time. They ask him if Liam bothers him too much, and Zayn can’t help and grow fond as he says “nah, he’s the best roommate that anyone could ask for” and it’s the truth. He returns Liam’s sunny and happy smile with a soft smile of his own.   
—

The next day, Liam spends the whole day with his parents, understandably. Zayn can’t believe, however, that he feels just a little jealous of the fact that Liam hasn’t spent a single minute with him today. It’s a little petty and bitter on his part.

His boyfriend spends the day out, having a good time showing his family around, while he sits at home watching a stupid movie that he can’t even name. He can’t blame Liam, and Liam keeps sending him cute selfies of him on Snapchat pouting or smiling or laughing and all Zayn wants to do is hold his face in his hands and give him a kiss.

But he can’t do that.

His phone buzzes, again, with a notification from Snapchat indicating that Li has sent him a Snap. He automatically smiles without even seeing the picture as he reaches out to unlock his phone and open the picture. It’s a picture of him with a huge teddy bear, at the fair, Liam’s cheeks squished against the fur of the bear, and a caption ‘won this for u love cant wait to give it to u’ and it makes Zayn all warm.

Trust Liam to make him feel all included in a day out when he can’t be there , just to make sure that he doesn’t feel left out.

He has absolutely no idea as to what he did to deserve to fall in love with Liam. Actually, he has no idea what he did, that Liam fell in love with him. Whatever that was, Zayn is glad he did it.

He smiles as he takes a snap of being wrapped up in blankets in front of the television and before sending it to him captions it with a ‘wish we could cuddle’.

After a while of watching the movie where he can’t even figure out what’s happening, he decides he should probably get up and go take a shower. He’s been putting it off all day, and honestly, he doesn’t want to be caught coming out of the shower while his boyfriend’s parents are in the lounge. (Especially seeing, he can’t use his own master bath at the moment, that would be awkward)

He strips down in the shower, and before heading in to the shower makes sure to take a mirror shot of him, a pg-13 shot but enough to entice his Liam, of his chest, with a winking emoji and sending it to Liam before he pops in to the shower.

—

Zayn helps Liam set out his bed on the sofa in the living room, with pillows and blankets that Zayn had gone out and got in the morning because they don’t really have extras of anything.

Their hands brush against each other as they set up the blankets and Liam laughs and Zayn smiles at him with a fond heart. His parents are in their room, getting ready for bed, and this is the first time in the last two days that Zayn and Liam have had to theirselves in a while.

And it’s not even any private time.

“Sleep well, love,” Zayn says, his voice soft and low as Liam sits down on the sofa, taking a deep breath.

“You too, babe,” Liam replies as he touches the inside of Zayn’s wrist lightly.

“Good night,” Zayn says, itching to bend down and give him a kiss. But he can’t do that.

“Good night, Zee.”

He’s in bed, and the bed feels cold and lonely, and he can’t sleep at all. He misses being in Liam’s arms, feeling warm and safe. His phone lights up and because he’s awake, he can see it. So he reaches for it again and a smile creeps up on his face when he realizes that it’s actually Liam.

He opens the message and a ‘u sleeping?’ stares at him.

‘nah can’t sleep without you’ is what he sends back to Liam.

A few seconds tick by before Liam replies: ‘same’ and a second text ‘do u kno our sofas are not very comfortable to sleep on’

Zayn chuckles as he types out a ‘I know!! When you were in NY for the business trip, I’d fallen asleep on the couch and woke up with a back panic remember?’

‘How could I forget’ Liam says, ‘you made me take care of you for like three weeks’

‘you took care of me because you like taking care of me, asshole,’ Zayn snorts as he remembers how Liam literally didn’t let Zayn do anything that could possibly make his back pain worse.

‘Tru. I like taking care of u, love,’ is what Liam replies with.

‘I like it too.’

A few minutes go by and Liam doesn’t reply, so Zayn thinks that Liam has fallen asleep, and that’s more than okay.

He just continues scrolling through his phone, hoping that would tire his eyes out and he’d fall asleep. But then there’s a knock on his door, and Liam opens it up and comes in. The room is dark and he can’t really see Liam’s face but he’s sure Liam is smiling as he says “hey, babe.”

“What are you doing in here,” Zayn says as he makes space for Liam to come lay down on the bed with him.

“‘Rents are sleeping, thought I’d come and spend some time with you,” Liam says as he lays down on the bed next to his side so that he’s facing Zayn. Zayn follows so he’s looking at Liam, too. “Missed you.”

“Missed you, too, babe,” Zayn sighs, as he lifts his hands up to hold Liam’s hand in his. “This is painful.”   
“I know, love,” Liam says, his voice so apologetic. “I’m sorry, I always wimp out on telling them,” he sounds so dejected it breaks Zayn’s heart.

“No, love. Don’t be. You’ll tel them on your own time, yeah. I’m not going anywhere,” Zayn soothes him by rubbing circles comfortingly in to Liam’s palm.

“I love you,” Liam says as he leans forward to press a kiss chaste to Zayn’s lips.

“Love you, too, honey,” Zayn says when Liam moves away.

A few moments of comforting silence passes by when Zayn asks: “are you going to go back out soon?”

Liam hums, “no, I’m thinking I’ll spend the night with you, babe.”

“I’d love nothing more, but are you sure,” Zayn asks.

“Yeah.”

“Sleep?”

“Sleep.”

And Zayn turns so his back is pressed up against Liam’s chest and Liam’s arm is thrown over his waist and their fingers interlocked in front of Zayn’s stomach.

Zayn really loves sleeping like this.

  
— -

When he wakes up, Liam is gone. A small sticky note in his place, ‘good morning, honey. sorry babe, woke up before mum and dad, didn’t want to wake you up. - L’

Zayn groans as he puts the sticky note in its original place and pushes his face in his pillow. He doesn’t want to wake up. He really doesn’t. But he has to. His boyfriend’s parents are over at his house and he wants to make a good impression on them, even if it’s just as Liam’s roommate. He really really wants them to like him.

He gets up after a few moments of letting his body sag in to the mattress, he lifts his hands above his head and stretches letting out a long sigh. He’s really, really, really not a morning person.

He picks up a pair of jeans from his closet and a t-shirt before making his way to the bathroom. He can hear Liam’s laugh, and that’s enough to make him smile, coming from the kitchen and he’s sure that he’s made breakfast for his parents. He’s a good son.

He fixes himself up in the bathroom, and exchanges his sleepwear for the outfit he brought with him, and puts the sleepwear in the laundry hamper. When he comes out of the bathroom and makes his way to the kitchen, he sees Karen and Geoff already eating their pancakes. Zayn wishes them a good morning as he makes his way to Liam who is busy fixing himself a plate of pancakes at the stove. He’s about to reach for the toast and make himself a sandwich when Liam says “I made you waffles, Zayn,” as he points to a plate that’s covered with another to keep the waffles under warm.

“Thanks Li,” Zayn says with a soft smile.

Liam’s a good boyfriend too.

“Do you not like pancakes, son?” Karen asks as he picks up the plate of waffles and sits down at the table across from Liam.

Zayn swallows before speaking, “um, not really, had a really bad reaction when I was a kid, and since then can’t seem to shake the memory out,” he says with a nervous laugh.

“Liam makes really delicious pancakes, I’m sorry you’re missing them,” Karen says, as she cuts her pancakes up and takes a bite.

“I’m sure he does, Mrs Payne,” Zayn says with a smile.

Karen nods at him before she turns to Liam. “So, Liam, I was talking to Emma the other day, remember Mr and Mrs Chaplin? Our neighbors?” She says when she sees Liam drawing a blank, “the girl with the curly blonde hair, you broke the poor girl’s bike when you were like five?”

“Yeah,” Liam says, hesitantly, as he remembers.

“Well, she gave me a call when she found out I was in London. She wanted to meet me, sweet girl,” Karen says as she turns to Geoff, “I told her I couldn’t meet her this time, because we’re busy. But,” she looks at Liam, “I told her you’d meet her for dinner tonight.”

Zayn stops chewing as he realizes what Liam’s mother is insinuating. He turns to look at Liam, and he sees the second the realization hits Liam. “Mum,” Liam says, as he straightens up a bit in his chair. “Why do you do this?” He whines.

Liam looks at Zayn with a panicked expression and Zayn can’t really do anything so he just looks down to his plate, the waffles suddenly far more interesting.

“I don’t understand why you aren’t ready to settle down, Liam,” Karen says, an annoyed tone creeping up her voice. “She’s a nice girl, just go to dinner with her.”

“Mum, I don’t want to,” Liam says as he links his foot with Zayn’s under the table. Zayn glances up at Liam from under his lashes, and sees Liam give him a comforting nods. “I don’t want to go on a date with her.”

“Son,” Geoff starts.

“I think it would be good for you, Liam. You just can’t stay home and not date,” Karen interrupts. “Ever since that girl you dated you haven’t dated anyone. I think you should settle down, now. Enough.”

“Mum,” Liam says, he sounds extremely put off.

Zayn unlocks their feet from underneath the table and picks up his plate and goes to stand up, freezing in his spot when Karen says “Zayn tell him he should go on the date.”

“Um,” Zayn says as he turns to look at Liam, who just sighs. And Zayn really, really, doesn’t want to tell his boyfriend to go on a date with anyone but him.

“Mum, don’t involve Zayn in this,” Liam says, obviously seeing that his boyfriend is not comfortable.

“He’s your friend, isn’t he? He wants the best for you too. So Zayn tell him he should go,” Karen says, an authoritative tone to her voice.

Liam groans.

Zayn sighs. He doesn’t really have a choice, does he?

“Liam,” Zayn says and pauses as he waits for Liam to look at him, “I think you should do what your Mom is telling you to do,” he says and he hopes he doesn’t look as upset as he feels.

But he knows he’s wishing in vain when Liam looks at his with sad, sad eyes.

“Mum, you always do this,” Liam says as he watches Zayn place the plate in the sink and walk away from this awkward situation as fast as he can.

“What. Want my son to be happy and taken care of?” Karen says.

“Mum, I am happy,” Liam says, itching to get up and go to Zayn.

“But you’re lonely,” Karen replies.

“I’m not, Mum,” Liam sighs as he gets up and puts his plate in the sink just like Zayn had done. “I’m perfectly content.”  
He doesn’t pay attention to his parents as he walks to the bedroom where Zayn is staying in. He pushes open the door and walks in to find Zayn sitting on his bed looking sad and Liam really, really hates it.

“Babe,” Liam says softly as he sits down on the bed next to Zayn.

“I’m sorry,” Zayn sighs. “I know that isn’t what you want to do but I really can’t help but feel like crap.”

Zayn lifts his head up and looks at Liam. “I really do not want you to go, babe.”

Liam shakes his head, he can’t have Zayn feeling bad about any of this. Especially when none of this is his fault. “Baby,” Liam says as he presses a kiss to the side of Zayn’s forehead, not missing the way Zayn leans in to the kiss. “I’m not going to go, you know that right?” Zayn nods as he leans against Liam, “I’m not going to ever do that to you, Zayn, even if you, like give me your permission or something. You’re my boyfriend. And I love you.”

“I love you, too, Li. But why about your mom? What would you say to her,” Zayn says he moves away and looks at Liam.

“I’m not ready to her about Zayn, not today. But I will,” Liam states. “I’m going to call Emma and tell her I can’t to do today,” Liam says.

“But, your mom?”

“Won’t tell her, babe. Tonight, you and I are going on a date.” Liam smiles at Zayn.

— -

That night Liam presses a kiss to Zayn’s cheek before leaving his room with a whisper, “pick me up at Lou’s, yeah?” and all Zayn can do is nod at him.

Liam leaves first. Zayn feels a little guilty when he hears Liam’s mom coo about how gorgeous he looks, and how she’s excited for his date.

Zayn leaves an hour or so later. He tells Liam’s parents who’re sat in front of the television, that he has a date, so he has ordered food for them that will be delivered within an hour. They smile at him, and tell him to have fun on his date. Zayn gives them a shy smile before he pops out the door.

 

He’s in front of Louis’ in his car waiting for his boyfriend. He literally feels like this is their first date almost a year ago, when he came to pick Liam up from Louis’ apartment. He had been so nervous then. Liam had been the unattainable boy in his Econ class that he had had a massive crush on. He had been nervous that he would bore Liam to death. But that hadn’t been the case, obviously.

And he’s not nervous, today. But he’s so excited to spend some time with his boyfriend.

He grins widely when he sees Liam come down the steps and lets out a chuckle when Liam comes forward and kisses him, pressing his back against the body of the car, seeping the kiss.

“Babe,” Zayn chuckles as Liam turns his face just slightly to press a kiss to his cheek.

“What, I missed you, and I missed kissing you,” Liam says with a pout.

“Oh, babe,” Zayn says he leans forward, “you have no idea how much I missed kiss you.”

They kiss. And kiss. And kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m so so sorry for disappearing. Just some family stuff came up and didn’t have the time to write. I’m back and I’m going to try and make up for all the missing fics ASAP. Even if I have to write like 2 a day.


End file.
